Ejections provide fireworks

PALMER — The Mat-Su Miners split an interesting doubleheader on Tuesday with the Athletes In Action Fire.

David Gibson gave a strong performance from the mound in the first game, leading the Miners to blank the Fire 4-0. Gibson scattered four hits over six innings and walked one batter. Gibson’s pitching was helped by a solid defensive performance from the Miners.

Strong pitching and defense is not unusual from Mat-Su, said head coach Brian Yocke. It’s offense that has been a struggle recently.

But the Miners has enough in the opener Tuesday, striking early and often, scoring in the top of the first.

During this series against the Fire, the Miners were the visiting team in their own ballpark, Hermon Brothers Field. Up until Tuesday, the Miners had not won an away game at their own park.

The Miners had a golden scoring opportunity in the top of the first. Each of the team’s first four batters reached base. Dominic Francia led off with a single, but was picked off of first base by Fire starting pitcher Andrew Work. Michael Gerlach singled and Stephen Branca walked. Wesley Jones then singled, setting up a Cam Kneeland sacrifice fly. Work escaped the inning allowing only the one run.

Jones came through in the clutch again for the Miners in the top of the third, scoring Gerlach on a broken-bat single to left. Kevin Lum rocketed a ball to the deepest part of center field for a triple in the fourth. Mason Guymon scored Lum with a single up the middle.

To score for the third consecutive inning in the fifth, first basemen Cam Kneeland hustled down the first base line to beat a throw on a double-play attempt from the Fire infield. Kneeland’s effort resulted in Stephen Branca scoring on a balk call.

To finish the game, newly added Mat-Su Miner Gerlach gave the fans an exhibition of his arm, recording the last out with a spectacular assist from right field. Gerlach sniped Tyler Shryoch’s attempt to score, keeping the shutout intact and prompting a raucous reaction from the crowd.

AIA Fire 3 Miners 1

In the second game of the doubleheader, no one told the coaches that fireworks are for the Fourth of July.

With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, pinch hitter Taylor Oldham stepped to the plate, but would not be able to begin his at bat for another 30 minutes.

One by one, AIA Fire coaches went to argue with field umpire Matt Rya. And one by one, every coach the Fire brought to the park was ejected. With no coaches on the Fire bench, play was suspended while umpires checked the legality of a player being promoted to a coach. When it was determined that play could continue, Mat-Su Miners head coach Yocke took his turn having a discussion with the umpire, and was also ejected.

When baseball was finally resumed, the Fire finished off a three-run sixth inning. Scott Kalamar hit a double to deep left field off a fatigued Jeff Gonzales. Reliever Brandon Hedrick would be called on to finish the game.

Gonzales and AIA Fire starting pitcher Taylor Aikenhead were locked in a good old-fashioned pitchers duel until the sixth. Gonzales struck out five batters over 5 1/3 innings, only allowing one hit until the sixth.

Aikenhead gave a memorable performance of his own, only allowing one hit in seven innings.

After a Todd Zier single in the third for the Miners, Guymon advanced Zier to second with a bunt. Zier then stole third and scored on a Ryan Ford sacrifice fly. At the time, the one manufactured run the Miners were able to put on the board looked like it would be plenty of support for a dominant Gonzales.

But the fireworks of the sixth inning interrupted the Mat-Su rhythm.

The Miners sit atop the Alaska Baseball League standings at 11-6. Mat-Su and AIA play in another doubleheader today at Hermon Brothers Field. Game 1 is slated to start at 4 p.m., with Game 2 to start 35 minutes following the conclusion of the first game.

AIA will be the home team on the scoreboard.